Putin and Trump had a telephone conversation

The
presidents of Russia and the United States, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump,
had a telephone conversation.

The
conversation of the heads of state lasted almost an hour and a half. The
Kremlin noted that the conversation took place on the initiative of Washington.

According
to White House spokesperson Sarah Sanders, the leaders talked a great deal
about the DPRK.

The Russian
president told Trump about the outcome of the talks with North Korean leader
Kim Jong-un, which was held in Vladivostok last week. Putin stressed that the
faithful fulfillment of the DPRK obligations must be accompanied by reciprocal
steps.

In turn,
Trump called on the Russian president to put pressure on North Korea for
denuclearization.

At the same
time, the parties noted the importance of consistently moving along the path of
denuclearization and achieving long-term normalization on the Korean Peninsula.

Touching on
the situation in Venezuela, the Russian president stressed that interference in
internal affairs and attempts at forceful change of power undermine a political
settlement.

The
American leader, according to the representative of the White House, “made
it clear that the United States supports the Venezuelan people.”

The parties
also raised the Ukrainian question. In particular, Putin noted that the new
Kiev authorities need to take real steps to implement the Minsk agreements.

The
presidents reaffirmed their mutual intention to intensify the dialogue in
various fields, including on issues of strategic stability.

Thus, the
parties touched upon the possibility of concluding a new nuclear agreement
between Russia, the United States and China, as well as the extension of the existing
agreement on strategic and offensive arms.

Putin and
the US president also discussed trade between countries, which, according to
Sanders, has increased under Trump.

According
to the Federal Customs Service, in 2018, Russia’s trade with the United States
amounted to about $ 25 billion, an increase of almost eight percent compared
with 2017.

In
addition, the presidents briefly discussed the Muller report in the context of
the end of the investigation and the absence of collusion.

Summarizing,
the Kremlin noted that Putin and Trump expressed satisfaction with the
successful business and constructive conversation. The parties also agreed to
continue contacts at various levels. The White House, in turn, called the talks
of the leaders of the two countries positive.